Is it possible to make something perfect, even perfect?
Logically speaking, improvements mean correcting previous shortcomings, and the 2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT defies logic in several ways, becoming more perfect for this model year and trim level.
It turns the sports car vibe up to 11 without compromising what makes the Cayenne the best SUV.
Another contradiction is that the Turbo GT is understated-looking, but not quite so. On the surface, with its coupe body style and interior, it’s hard to imagine it’s the fastest production SUV around the Nurburgring, and it is. Look closer and you’ll see that’s not the case.
Carbon fiber is used liberally throughout the exterior and cabin, and the massive yellow calipers gripping the Porsche ceramic composite brakes behind the massive 22-inch wheel package and additional carbon fiber aero parts only hint at true performance.
Inside, the comfort you’d expect from a Cayenne is provided, even with eight-way power sports seats. The cabin is stocked with every convenience feature imaginable, under a new digital interface that makes the SUV look more like a spaceship than a car. All of this leads into a refined space covered in high-quality materials that reference terms like biased stitching. As with the exterior elements, it’s only the large pieces of Alcantara that give some indication of the Turbo GT’s true potential.
But don’t feel like you’re missing out, even if the price is high, because every extra zero has been spent on strengthening where it matters: under the body. The car sits 15mm lower and rolls on special Pirelli tyres. And there’s a host of electronic systems to keep the Cayenne in the right position when it’s accelerating hard, from Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control to Torque Vectoring Plus and rear axle steer. At the heart of the Turbo GT is a four-litre twin-turbo V8 that’s been further strengthened to produce 650bhp.
Launch control immediately wipes away any shock of the price. The titanium exhaust crackles and slings you forward as if Jupiter had hurled the horizon at the car. Porsche says you’ll hit 62 mph after 3.3 seconds. Keep your foot on the gas and the Cayenne will accelerate faster than a commercial airliner takes off. Terminal velocity is listed at 189 mph, and it’s easy to reach. The Porsche delivers power at low, medium, and high speeds, and in SPORT+ mode it always automatically selects the right gear to keep up with the forward speed of a freight train.
Must there be a downside? No. When you come across a twisty road, the Porsche continues to defy logic. As you approach, the Cayenne brakes, slows repeatedly, and places unwavering confidence on the left pedal exactly as commanded. Then it turns in with grip unimaginable for a vehicle of this size and class, apexing with the precision of a Brit Miller mohel, wielding the revised eight-speed transmission like a rifle to achieve corner-entry speed without missing a beat.
The Cayenne’s broad performance range might lead some to imagine it as a rough, rugged machine. But that expectation doesn’t really fit the reality. The Turbo GT is anything but race-car-like. It’s comfortable and incredibly precise. In the real world, the Turbo GT can complete a nearly 480-mile round trip in less than the GPS arrival time, and then drive stress-free in traffic. Not many cars, much less SUVs, can do that.
Former TopGear presenter James May once criticised the Nurburgring for ruining cars, saying they were too stiff and uncomfortable to ride on real roads. But the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT proves otherwise. It’s a no-compromise car for those who want speed, luxury and practicality all in one. The Turbo GT does everything the standard Cayenne does, only faster.
